Theatre Office Natori –Overview
Theatre Office Natori, led by Toshiyuki Natori, is a Japanese production company dedicated to theatre, contemporary dance, and film. It has gained recognition for staging innovative interpretations of modern classics, particularly works by Henrik Ibsen.
In collaboration with Prof. Mitsuya Mori, Japan’s foremost Ibsen scholar and director the Office has produced acclaimed interpretations of major Ibsen works, including Ghosts, Hedda Gabler, and John Gabriel Borkman, Double Nora (a Noh-style adaptation of A Doll’s House, among others. These productions have been praised for offering “a new Ibsen” through clear vision and inventive staging. Double Nora toured Stockholm, Skien, Bergen, London (2005), and the International Ibsen Festival in Oslo (2006), receiving praise from both critics and audiences.
In 2009, Theatre Office Natori launched a modern Russian theatre series in collaboration with Maly Theatre in Moscow. The following year, it organized the first International Ibsen Festival Tokyo, featuring productions from Norway, Germany, Vietnam, and Japan. The festival was held three times (in 2010, 2013, and 2016) and became a huge success, presenting various Ibsen productions from both Japan and abroad. Companies from Belgium, Romania, and Chile were also invited.
The Office also initiated the Minoru Betsuyaku International Exchange Series in 2009, highlighting works by the renowned Japanese playwright. Productions such as Sick, Reception, and Godot Has Come toured major cities including Paris, Berlin, Dublin, Sibiu and Moscow.
Expanding its global scope, Theatre Office Natori has staged Canadian works such as East of Berlin (2015) and Butcher (2017), both of which received critical acclaim and nominations for major theatre awards in Japan. In 2018, the company launched a Contemporary Korean Theatre Series, producing one play annually. In 2020, the Korean play The House Where Boy B Lives by won the Excellence Award from Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs.
The company's international playwright series currently focuses on South Korea, Canada, Australia, Palestine, and Ireland. Its themes include historical trauma, crime, identity, gender, and conflict. A standout production, Prisoners of the Occupation, involved direct collaboration with Palestinian communities and featured local actors. The production was broadcast globally by NHK World JAPAN.
Theatre Office Natori’s performance concept is: “Small, Narrow, Deep—Approaching the Essence.” Its mission is to connect artistic connections between Japan and the cultural origins of the plays it stages.
Looking ahead, the Office plans a major production in 2028 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Henrik Ibsen’s birth.
Awards to a company
| 2018 | The 25th Yomiuri Theater Awards Outstanding Theatrical Production Award | "BUTCHER" |
| 2020 | The 75th Agency for Cultural Affairs National Arts Festival Excellence Award | "The House Where Boy B Lives" |
| 2022 | The 57th Kinokuniya Theatre Awards | Betsuyaku Minoru memorial trilogy performance"Godot has come""Ah,Yes,but still...""Sick" Contemporary south korean plays"Don't be so surprised"for the excellent stage performance Contemporary korean drama |
| 2023 | The 10th Hayakawa 'Tragedy and Comedy' Award | 50th anniversary planning and co-production ACO Okinawa and Theatre Office Natori "KATABUI 1972" |
| 2023 | The 16th Yushi Odashima Award for Translation of Plays | In recognition of the productions of "Prisoners of Occupation," "The Philanthropist," and "Butcher." |
| 2024 | The 32nd Yomiuri Theater Awards – Preliminary Selection | “Katabui, 1995 ” nominated for the Production Award, Best Director Award (Yuko Naito), and Best Actress Award (Haruno Miyagi). |
Theatre Office Natori
Cherry Heim #201, 1-15-1, Sakura-shimmachi, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 154-0015 JAPAN
Tel&fax: +81-(0)3-3428-8355
E-mail: thntr123@ybb.ne.jp
http://www.nato.jp/
